Closure assembly



' Oct. 19, 1948. s, W'ILT E 2,451,599

CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Filed April 16, 1945 I5 I v JNVENTOR.

SUMN ER WILTS E 23 BY F|G.4. 21 I Z :5 M5 5g ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 19, 1948 FFICE CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Sumner Wiltse, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Vibraseal Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 16, 1945, Serial No. 588,560

Claims. (CLZZO-SBY This invention relates generally to closures and refers more particularly to improvements in closures for openings, passages and ports subjected to fluid under pressure,

In the manufacture of pneumatic or hydraulic equipment having parts provided with internal passages or ports, it is customary to form the latter by drilling into the parts from the outer sides of the latter. It becomes necessary, therefore, to plug the outer ends of the drilled holes and difficulty is often experienced in accomplishing this result in a, manner to insure obtaining a fluid-tight Joint over long periods of use.

The present, invention overcomes the above difiiculty by providing a closure assembly having means responsive to installation of the closure to efiectively seal the joint between the closure and adjacent walls of the opening to be plugged by the closure assembly.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure assembly having sealing means so constructed and arranged that fluid under pressure in the passage or port closed by the assembly tends to increase the sealing pressure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a closure assembly composed of a relatively few simple parts capable of being inexpensively manufactured, assembled and installed.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a part having a, closure assembly constructed in accordance with this, invention;

Figure 2 is a sectionalview through the parts having a passage to be closed by the closure assembly;

Figure 3 is an exploded sectional view of the closure assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form of closure assembly;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the part having a passage to be closed by the assembly shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 of the closure assembly shown in Figure 4.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive it will be noted that the reference character H1 indicates a part having an open ended passage H adapted to be closed and sealed against the escape of fluid through the open end thereof. The outer end portion I2 of the passage is of enlarged diameter 2 and is internally threaded to enable securing a closure assembly l3 therein.

The closure assembly comprises a fitting M, a

thimble or generally cup-shaped member l5 and adeformable ring H5. The fitting M is in the form of a sleeve having a tubular portion I'l adapted to project into the enlarged outer-end lZof the passage H and externally threaded for coaction with the internal threads in the passage to secure the fitting to the part to. The outer end of the fitting is provided with an enlarged head [8 forming a shoulder I!) for abutting engagement with the outer surface of the part Hi When the fitting is. in assembled relation with the passage H. The length of the fitting is predetermined with reference to the length of the portion l2 of the passage ll so that when the fitting is in assembled relation with the passage, the inner end [9 of the fitting is spaced axially outwardly from the annular shoulder 2! in the passage l l and forms an annular groove 22. The shoulder 2| and end IQ of the fitting are tapered to provide the groove with converging opposite side walls. v V

The thimble or cup-shaped member i5 is preferably formed of a ductile material such, for example, as copper, brass, aluminum or alloys containing these metals. In any event, the member l5 isforrned of a material capable of being deformed without damage and is provided with an outwardly extending annular marginal flange 23 at the free edge thereof. The member i5 is adapted to be positioned in the passage H at the inner end of the fitting Is with the marginal flange 25 in juxtaposition to the inner end I!) of the fitting.

The ring I5 is also formed of a deformable material such, for example, as rubber, synthetic rubber or rubber-like compositions which are preferably impervious to hydrocarbons, oils and the like. The internal diameter of the ring approximates the external diameter of the member l5 and in actual practice is somewhat less than the latter diameter so as to frictionally engage the exterior surface of this member. The opposite sides 24 of the ring converge from the inner surface of the ring and the length of the ring is predetermined to fit in the annular groove 22.

In assembling the several parts of the closure IS, the ring is sleeved on the member [5 and the latter is introduced into the passage H with the inner tapered surface 24 abutting the annular shoulder); The fitting I4 is threaded into the enlarged portion [2 of the passage and the inner end of the fitting abuts the; flange 23' on the thimble or cup-shaped member l5. Upon continued axial movement of the fitting l4, the flange 23 is bent inwardly and the resilient rin i6 is placed under compression in the groove 22.

The construction is such that when the fitting Inasmuch as the member 15 is formed of a relatively soft material it follows that the portion of the member engaged by the ring is deformed or contracted in the manner indicated by the reference character 25 and provides a continuous annular seal around the member IS. The general arrangement is such that fluid under pressure in the passage ll tending to escape past the sealing ring l6 merely increases the sealing pressure and improves the efficiency of the seal.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive is similar to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawing and, accordingly, corresponding parts of the two embodiments are indicated by this same reference characters. It will be noted, however, that the closure assembly featured in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive comprises an additional part in the form of a metal ring 26 formed of a ductile material similar to the member l5 and having an internal diameter predetermined to enable the same to be sleeved on the member l5 at the inner sides of the resilient ring Hi. The ring 26 is formed with a radially outwardly extending flange 21 at the inner edge thereof for engagement with the shoulder 2! on the part Ill.

The above construction is such that the ring '26 is deformed in response to axial inward movement of the fitting l4 and forms a'protective retainer for the portion of the ring which is exposed to the fluid under pressure in the passage H. In other words the ring 26 serves to distribute the forces applied to the ring by the fluid under pressure in the passage l I over a greater area of the ring. It will also be noted that the resilient ring I6 is deformed to contact the annular shoulder 2| radially outwardly of the flange 21 and to contact the member l5 axially outwardly from the outer edge of the ring 26 so that any fluid escaping past the ring 26 is interrupted by the resilient sealing ring l6.

It will further be noted that the fitting l4 shown in Figures 4 to 6 of the drawing differs from the fitting shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive of the drawing in that the head I8 is omitted and the bore through the fitting is formed with a polygonally shaped portion 28 for cooperation with a suitable wrench or tool to enable convenient manipulation of the fitting. With the above noted exceptions, the two closure assemblies are identical and operate in the same general manner to efiectively seal a port, opening or passage in a part of a fluid pressure device.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A closure assembly for an open ended passage in a part, comprising a fitting having a portion insertable into the passage through the open end of the latter and attachable tolthe part, a cup-shaped member of deformable material adapted to assume a position in the passage at the inner end of the fitting and having a generally radially outwardly extending flange adjacent the inner end of the fitting, an internal annular shoulder in the passage at the inner side of the flange, a resilient ring of relatively noncompressible material sleeved on the cup-shaped member and positioned between the shoulder and flange, the shoulder and inner end of the fitting converging in a general radial outward direction, whereby movement of the fitting axially inwardly of the passage bends the flange on the cup-shaped member axially inwardly against the adjacent side of the ring to place the latter under compression and contracts the ring against the cup-shaped member with suificient force to correspondingly contract the adjacent surface of the latter member.

2. A closure assembly for an open ended passage in a part, comprising a fitting having a portion insertable into the passage through the open end of the latter and attachable to the part, a cup-shaped member of deformable material adapted to assume a position in the passage at the inner end of the fitting and having a generally radially outwardly extending flange adjacent the inner end of the fitting, an internal annular shoulder in the passage at the inner side of the flange, the shoulder and inner end of the fitting converging in a general radial outward direction, sealing means surrounding the cupshaped member between the shoulder and flange on the latter member, said sealing means comprising a resilient ring of relatively non-deformable material and having opposite sides converging in a general radial outward direction, where by movement of the fitting axially inwardly of the passage bends the flange on the cup-shaped member axially inwardly against the adjacent side of the ring to place the latter under compression and contracts the ring against the cupshaped member with sufficient force to correspondingly contract the adjacent surface of the latter member.

3. A closure assembly for an opening in a part, comprising a fitting attachable to the part and having a portion adapted to extend into the opening, a cup-shaped member adapted to assume a position in the opening at the inner end of the fitting and having a generally radially outwardly extending marginal flange abutting the inner end of the fitting, an internal annular shoulder in the opening cooperating with the marginal flange on the cup-shaped member to form an annular groove, a resilient deformable ring sleeved on the cup-shaped member and held under compression in the groove and against the adjacent surface of the member, and a metal protecting ring positioned on the cup shaped member at the inner side of the resilient ring.

4. A closure assembly for an open ended passage in a part, comprising a fitting having a portion insertable into the passage through the open end of the latter and attachable to the part, a cup-shaped member of deformable material adapted to assume a position in the passage, at the inner end of the fitting and having a generally radially outwardly extending flange adjacent the inner end of the fitting, an internal annular shoulder in the passage at the inner side of the flange, a resilient deformable ring of relatively non-compressible material sleeved on the cup-shaped member and held under compression between the flange, shoulder and cup-shaped member, and a deformable metal ring having a portion extending between the shoulder and re ing completely and bearing firmly against the walls of the opposed grooves, opposite walls of the first mentioned groove being relatively movable and coacting to maintain a firm engagement of the ring with the walls of both grooves, and means for adjusting one of the relatively movable walls of said first mentioned groove, including a fitting adjustably connected to the part aforesaid.

SUMNER WILTSE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,243,754 Honegger May 27, 1941 2,287,750 Clayton June 23, 1942 2,370,870 McKeague Mar. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,384 Norway Dec. 8, 1902 427,449 Great Britain Apr. 24, 1935 

